Electric shaver



Oct. 18, 1955 s. 1. WADSWORTH ELECTRIC SHAVER Filed Jan. 29, 1954 & m mw.

azwvzp J. WDfWO/W? United States Patent "Ofiice 2,720,696 Patented Oct.18, 1955 ELECTRIC SHAVER Sanford I. Wadsworth, Jackson Heights, N. Y.Application January 29, 1954, Serial No. 406,954

6 Claims. (Cl. 3041.5)

This invention relates to electric shavers.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an electric shaverfor removing superfluous hair from the face or any other part of thebody wherein the motive power is transmitted through a shaft to a cutteror blade so that the latter completes three hundred and sixty degreerevolutions, either direct or geared to increase or decrease bladespeed, and not employing the vibrator cam or oscillator principle.

It is another object of the present invention to provide an electricshaver of the above type which is air cooled, provides a more rapidshave, has an increased shaving area, reduces irritation to the skin, isless noisy; introduces a new diaphragm and valve arrangement, has anuninterrupted cutting surface and is faster than conventional mechanicalshavers.

For other objects and a better understanding of the invention, referencemay be had to the following detailed description taken in connectionwith the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure l is a perspective view of the invention;

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view thereof, taken along the line 2-2 ofFig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a perspective View of the cutting blade;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged elevational view of the skin guard;

Fig. 5 is a perspective view showing the device being used to remove leghair; and

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the device being used to shave the face.

Referring now to the figures, 10 represents generally a housing and caseassembly including a cover 10a connected to a cylindrical motor chamber1% by means of screws 22 and a screen and diaphragm chamber 100 suitablyconnected to the bottom of the motor chamber 10b (Fig. 2), the cover1011, motor chamber 10b and screen and diaphragm chamber 100 beingformed of suitable plastic. The chamber 100 is externally threaded at 30and has screwed thereon an internally threaded skin guard or face plate29.

A plastic hand strap 12 is formed with doubled up loops at each end andis secured to the cover 10a by means of the integrally formed strapholding portions 11.

A fractional horsepower motor 14 is suitably mounted in the motorchamber 10b and includes a drive shaft 15 extending therefrom in bothdirections. The upper end of the drive shaft 15 is supported in anexternally threaded bushing 13 provided in the top 10a. The bushing 13is screw threaded into an insert provided in the top of the case 10a,the upper end of the bushing 13 being provided with a screw driver slotto permit vertical adjustment of the shaft and to thereby provide theblade or blades 16 adequate clearance in relation to the face plate orskin guard 29. A knurled lock nut 36 is screw threaded on to the bushing13 and prevents the latter from losing the proper blade adjustment onceattained. The upper portion of the shaft 15 is provided with an annulargroove 24 in which is positioned a snap ring 17 which is also receivedin the partially slotted bushing 13 to insure the up and down adjustmentof the shaft 15 with the bushing 13.

The inside of the screen and diaphragm chamber is provided with anannular groove 24 Within which is positioned a diaphragm assembly 23, avery fine wire mesh screen 25 being secured intermediate the flangedportion of diaphragm 23 and groove 24. The diaphragm 23 is provided witha plurality of upwardly struck openings 26 which are adaptedto permitthe upward movement therethrough of hair while at the same timepreventing its return movement by means of the portions 27.

The adjacent portions of the motor chamber 10b and screen and diaphragmchamber 100 are provided with the opening 34 (Fig. 1) adapted to beopened and closed by a sliding door 3411 moved by finger 35, thusproviding a hair ejector. Thus, hairs blown upwardly through thediaphram 23 will be retained therewithin by screen 25 until ejectedthrough the door 34a.

A cutting blade 16 is secured to the bottom end of the drive shaft 15within the skin guard 29 by means of the holder 18 and the screws 18a.

The skin guard 29 over its entire surface is provided with elongated andstaggered openings 31 adapted to receive therethrough the hair of theuser, the skin guard 29 being case hardened preferably.

An electric cord 32 carrying a male plug 33 at one end for connection toa suitable source of power is adapted to be plugged into the motor 14through casing 10 in any suitable manner, for example by a male andfemale plug arrangement or by a bayonet slot construction. The blade 16is attached to the shaft 15 at an angle of attack (approximatelyforty-five degrees) to the fiat inside surface of perforated guard 29 tomost efiiciently out hair protruding through openings 31, as the deviceis moved gently over the desired area during operation of motor 14. Thedoor 34a for ejecting hair may be, of course, hinged to the casing, ifdesired. In operation, the device is connected to a suitable source ofpower by means of the plug 33, and the hand is engaged under the strap12 at the top (Fig. 6) and the device applied over the desired area ingradual circular or up and down movements with the guard 29 in contactwith the skin. Abrupt or critical areas may be shaved by tilting thedevice so that the forty-five degree angle of the blade 16 and the guard29 will provide a more controlled shave, for example when shavingsideburns or a moustache. As contact is made on the skin by the shaver,the hairs are cut close to the skin and thrust against the diaphragm 23where they pass upwardly through the openings 26 and are trapped by theportions 27 from returning until removed from the device through thehair ejector door 34a between shaving operations. The unique effect andpurpose of the angle of attack of the blade or blades 16 is to create aslight suction against the hair and skin, providing a closer shave, andas cut hairs are thrust through the diaphragm 23 against the screen 25,the air passes upwardly through the screen to cool the motor 14 andmaking the device more comfortable to the user. The air will then ventto the atmosphere through suitable holes 21 provided at the top side ofthe case. The slotted adjustable bushing 13 controls the clearancebetween the blades and the guard, thus permitting the desired closenessof shave.

While various changes may be made in the detail construction, it shallbe understood that such changes shall be within the spirit and scope ofthe present invention as defined by the appended claims.

Having thus set forth and disclosed invention, what is claimed is:

1. An electric shaver comprising a hollow casing having a rear closureand a front opening, an electric motor secured within said casingadjacent said rear closure and the nature of my having a central driveshaft extending through said rear closure and through said frontopening, a skin guard secured across said front opening and havingperforations, a cutterblade secured to the forward end of said driveshaft'in th'e vicinity and slightly spaced from the interior of saidguard, filter means intermediate said blade and said motor andexternally operable means for adjusting the positionof saidshaft'relative to said motor for varying the distance between said bladeand guard.

2. The electric shaver as set forth in claim '1, in which said filtermeans comprises a diaphragm above said blade which has rearwardly struckopeningspermitting the rearward passage of hair therethrough butpreventing .its recured Within said casing adjacent said rear closureand turn, and. a wire screen intermediate said diaphragm and said motor,said casing intermediate said diaphragm and screen having anejectoropening. i i

3. The electric shaver, as set forth in claim 1, in which saidexternally operable means comprises an externally threaded bushing screwthreaded in said rear closure and having a screw driver slot, the rearend of said shaft being received within saidbushing, snapringmeansconnecting said shaft and bushing and Iock nut means for lockingsaid bushing relative to said rear closure.

4. The electric shaver, as set forth in claim 1, in which said skinguard has a bevelled periphery, the ends of said blade arecorrespondingly bevelled, and the pitchof said having a central driveshaft extending through the front opening, a skin guard secured acrossthe front opening and having perforations, a cutterblade secured to theforward end of said drive shaft in the vicinity and slightly spaced fromthe interior of'said guard, filter means in termediate said blade andsaid motor, said filter means comprising a diaphragm above said bladewhich has rearwardly struck openings permitting the rearward passage ofhair therethrough but preventing its returm and a screen intermediatesaid diaphragm and said motor, said casing intermediate said diaphragmand screen having an ejector opening. H r V Reierences Cited in the fileof this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS v I 2,134,609 'Hay ot; 25;f1 9ss2,201,951 Brans May 21-, I940

